England’s humiliation raises doubts for future of Wane, and the Ashes

Another humbling, and indeed a series humiliation, leaves deep scars on England coach Shaun Wane and serious questions over his future.

The return of the Ashes after a 22-year absence had been welcomed with open arms as an opportunity to renew a classic rivalry and show that English rugby league can compete with Australia.

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A dismal, dispiriting 3-0 series whitewash, though, serves as a sobering reality check about where the balance of power lies.

“You’re getting sacked in the morning” was the chant aimed at Wane by England fans as Australia ran amok with three tries in the final quarter. England competed gamely for an hour and trailed just 12-8 at the interval, but the Kangaroos moved up a gear and took their chances ruthlessly. Super League sides can beat the NRL’s finest in one-off World Club Challenge fixtures but at international level the Aussies remain farther ahead than ever. With a World Cup next year Down Under, that is a huge concern and presents a major conundrum for the Rugby Football League.

The governing body, after a chaotic year which has seen several directors ousted and replaced by a new board led by former CEO Nigel Wood, must now decide whether to stick with Wane or twist. The 61-year-old, a gnarled Wiganer and proud Englishman, had built up this series as much as anyone. During his six-year reign there has been a World Cup semi-final defeat by Samoa in 2022, Test series wins over Tonga and Samoa in 2023 and 2024, and this Ashes humiliation.

Overall the series has been a bitter disappointment, a pronounced let-down for an England side who have scored just two tries in 240 minutes to Australia’s 11. Mistakes from Joe Burgess and then Morgan Knowles led to tries for Josh Addo-Carr and Hudson Young before England replied through George Williams after excellent work from Jez Litten.

England battered their visitors’ line after the break but could not make it pay. Australia scored three tries in the final 18 minutes from Harry Grant and full-back Reece Walsh, who looks a superstar in the making if he is not one already.

Wane’s selections have also come in for heavy scrutiny, particularly the omission of Leeds star Jake Connor, Super League’s Man of Steel. Wane left him out, claiming that Connor lacked consistency, before deriding the coveted award by stating: “The Man of Steel doesn’t mean anything to me.” That was one of several bad looks for Wane and England, who have been outshone by Australia on so many levels.

The Kangaroos held an open training session at Headingley on Friday, posing for pictures for fans, while England did not even spend any time in Leeds this week.

Regardless of Wane’s future, England will continue to lag behind Australia, where the NRL is comparable with the English Premier League in glitz, glamour and media interest. The congested domestic fixture calendar in Super League meant England didn’t even have a single training session or warm-up game prior to this series. Nobody knows whether Wane will coach England again, or when the next Ashes will be after a series that raises more questions than answers.

Photograph by Mike Egerton/PA Wire